schelp



(No Model.)

F.- SCHELP, J1".

VEHICLE GEAR.

Patented Feb. 22, 1887.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED. SGHELP, JR., OF BALLVIN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGEH. SOHELP, OF SAME PLAGE.

VEHICLE-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358.410, dated February22, 1887.

Application filed June 1,1586. Serial No. 203.723. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED. SCHELP, Jr., of Ballwin, St. Louis county,Missouri, have made a new and useful Improvement in Vehicle- Gears, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The improvement relates partly to the mode of attaching the springs andpartly to the construction ofthe fifth-wheel. In the `annexed drawings,making part of this specification and exhibiting the best mode known tome of carrying ont the improvement- Figure lis a plan of the gear,portions of the springs being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation,upon an enlarged scale, showing the mode of attaching the springs to theaxle. Fig. 3 is an yend elevation of the parts of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is aside elevation showing a modification of the spring atiachment. Fig. 5is an end elevation of the parts of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is aplan of the ironthat connects the perch with the front axle and in which the fifth-wheelrests. Fig. 7 is a plan of an iron adapted to a forked perch. Fig. 8 isan elevation of the rear end of the gear. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectionon the line 9 9 of Fig. l; and Fig. l() is a view in perspective of thefifth-wheel.

The samelctters of reference denote the same parts.

The front axle, A, the hind axle, B, and the perch C, saving asvmodified by the present improvement, are of the customary form. Thesprings DD', instead of being arranged directly above the axle, are atthe side thereof, being both in front and rear of the axle, in pairs, asshown in connection with the front axle, Fig. l. Although in that figurebut one spring is shown in connection with the hind axle, in practicetwo springs,D2,are attached to the hind axlewhen two are used at thefront..

For attaching the springs the improved clip E is used. The novel featureof this clip is the provision whereby it is enabled to support thespring end above and at the side of the axle. For this purpose the clipis supplied with an arm, e, which extends upward and then horizontallyand laterally from the axle, and the spring end is attached to the clipby means of the bolt e', which passes through the eye d ofthe spring-armand is held in the vertical portions of the clip-arm, substantially asis represented in Figs. 2, 3 more distinctly.

The other principal feature of the improvement is the fifth-wheelmechanism. F represents the fifth-wheel, consisting of the semicircularbar f, the centrally depressed bar f, attached at its ends to the bar fand at its center having the tubular projection f2. The fifth-wheel issecured. to the axle by means of the clips f f3, Fig. 1, at each side ofthe position commonly occupied by the kingbolt. The fifth-wheel is thusupheld against the underside of the axle, where it is well out of theway of the springs. Its barf is, as shown 4in Fig. 9, supported at gupon the iron G, which connects the reach O with the axle A. The ironand reach are relatively so constructed as, by depressing the iron, asshown at g, to include the bar f between them and provide not only abearing for the bar f, but also for confining the fifth-wheel to theperch, so that it cannot easily'be withdrawn therefrom, but at the sametimepermitting of the free swinging movement ofthe perch and bar uponeach other. An additional connection for the ifth-wheel is the bolt H,which passes downward through the axle at the point Where the king-boltis generally used, and through the tubular projection f2 of thefifth-wheel. This projection f2 forms a bearing upon which the iron Gturns as the axle swings upon the perch. It will be seen that the perchhas a double connection with the axle, the iron G at its forward end, atg',

being perforated to pass onto the projection f2, and the bar f of thefifth-wheel being held in the recess g. By reason of the location of thefifth-wheel and of the perch being directly connected with the axle onlythrough the iron G, which, as shown, connects with the axle at thebottom thereof, space is provided at I, Fig. 9, immediately in rearofthe axle,wherein the spring D may be received when it is depressed inuse.

The present improvement does not preclude the use of an overhead braceleading from the top of the perch to a head-block when used upon theaxle. The bar f may be used without the addition of the bar f, yin whichcase it is at its end connected directly with the axle. The clip E neednot necessarily be used to sup- IOD port the arm e, as that part may bein any suitable manner attached to the axle. I consider, however, theconstruction shown to be the most desirable mode of carrying out theimprovement. The shackle J, Fig. 4, may or may not be used, as isdesired, and the form of the arm @,as well as the mode of connecting thespring therewith, may be varied, providing the spring can be upheld, asdescribed, at the side of the axle.

I claiml. The combination of the straight axle, the half-springs D D',one upon each side of the axle and adapted to be attached each at itsupper end to the body, and the clips E, having arms e, projectingupwardly and laterally each toward the outer end ofone ofsaidhalf-springs, and the bolts e', substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the axle and the springs, of the clips E, eachhaving an arm projecting upward, outward, and downward, the upward anddownward projections being perforated and the ends of the springs beingsituated between them and held by a bolt passing through saidperforations, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the axle and perch, of one member of afth-wheel secured to the `axle and having an oscillating engagementengagement with the perch upon the other side thereof, the perch beingsituated between said fifth-wheel member and said barf, substantially asset forth.

4. The combinatiomwith the axle and perch, of the iron G, extendingalong and secured to the perch and having a way or groove,and theiifth-wheel member F, secured to the axle and 'provided with a curvedbar situated between the perch and said part G and adapted to engagewith said way, and provided also with the barf, situated out of the lineof the perch and centrally perforated, the other parts also beingcorrespondingly perforated to receive the king-bolt, substantially asset forth.

5. The combination, with the axle and perch, of the part F, having thebarf, parallel with the axle, depressed, secured to the axle, asdescribed, and provided with the bearing f2, the part F having also thecurved bar f, and the part G, secured to the perch, situated above thebar f', pivoted upon the bcaringf, and having an oscillatingengagementwith the bar f upon the under side of the same, substantiallyas set forth.

FRED. SCHELP, JR. VitIiesses:

C. D. MOODY, J. XV. HOKE.

